Jack in the Box

I’ll admit it; I love Jack.  Fortunately, my husband understands.

For those of you who do not live on the West Coast, Jack in the Box is a fast-food chain.  Generally, I avoid fast food.  But this chain is different.

They have Jack.

About 15 years ago, in a stroke of marketing genius, the company revived its mascot, Jack, and launched a series of TV ads that brought droll humor to what was a wasteland of our-burger-is-better-than-your-burger advertising fare.  Picture a Madison avenue ad-man with a clown head like a giant ping-pong ball donning a happy face smile and you have Jack.  Jack wears impeccable suits, heads a successful company, is a devoted family man and is almost always smiling.  You don’t see him needing a haircut or a shave and I seriously doubt he has morning-breath.

Now, give him a script filled with boardroom scenarios, sight-gags, and black-outs and you have branding genius.  What’s not to love? 

My current favorite ad takes place on the UCLA campus.  Jack is touting his $3.49 meal. He proceeds to show you the burger, the tacos, the soft drink.  Yep, plenty of food for a modest price.

Then he adds, “It’ll fill you up, and let you save money for the important things (cue the toga party pulling a float with the world’s largest Jello shot)…like school supplies.”

He delivers the line with perfect seriousness, and his signature smile.  Who can resist?  It’s National-Lampoon-meets-Jon-Stewart funny.

The actor who voices Jack is, rightfully enough, Dick Pettig, the VP of the advertising agency holding the Jack in the Box account.  Which only adds to the allure.  Pettig even got to ride on the Rose Bowl float in 2008, as Jack.  When the next major ad campaign pictured a hospitalized Jack in the ICU, I actually feared that this man might have had a heart attack and Jack would be gone.  Stupid, yes, but that’s how strong an identity this character has for me.  Since the website got over 4 million hits during that time, it seems I wasn’t alone.

My husband tolerates my crush with detached amusement.  Given to unexpected barbs and sly asides himself, he enjoys the ads, too.  So while other fast-food chains promote their physical size (Carl’s) or friendliness (McDonalds), I stick with the guy with the wise-ass sense of humor.

Life imitates art?  You don’t know Jack.